1st annual Chilliwack Rotary Climate Fair, trade show and job expo set for April 15-16

Curtis found her calling for climate initiatives after semi-retiring about six years ago.

“When I semi-retired in 2017, I was looking for somewhere to work on climate change, but couldn’t find a club or group that was focused on it,” said Curtis, a Chilliwack resident. “Understandable, because it feels like, what can we really do? So I joined Rotary, as I liked what they focus on and how they do business. Then, in January 2021, Rotary International announced that we are taking on environment (and climate change) as our new seventh area of focus. This got a few of us thinking.”

In September 2021, about 10 like-minded Rotarians came together to form a committee called the Climate Change Action Group (CCAG). The committee has since grown to comprise 20 Rotarians and over 25 members of the community. Curtis says many of these group members are scientists, experts in methane, hydrogen, and even quantum physics. The climate fair is just one of the initiatives that the group is working on.

“We didn’t know what would come of it, but we knew we wanted to do something,” Curtis said. “Really, people from every industry, coming together, as they want to help in whatever way they can.”

Chilliwack Rotary has assembled industry-leading experts who are equipped to present valuable information on climate initiatives and thought-provoking topics.

“Everyone is a leader in their field,” Curtis said in describing the list of speakers.

Think of it like a Ted Talk for climate change policy. Dr. Carin Bondar, a science educator, will delve into sustainable fashion and the downfalls of the fashion industry, while Brian Minter, an acclaimed horticulturist whose family owned Minter Gardens previously and now owns Minter Country Gardens on Young Road, will be speaking on the challenges, as well as the promising tech solutions, of feeding a world of over eight billion people in the midst of climate change.

Chilliwack mayor Ken Popove is slated to speak; he has embraced a number of climate action initiatives as an elected official.

Image: City of Chilliwack / Mayor Ken Popove is slated to speak at the first annual Chilliwack Rotary Climate Fair.

Eddie Gardner (T’ít’elem Spath – Singing Bear) of Skwah First Nation, and president of the Wild Salmon Defense Alliance, is another featured speaker with a wealth of knowledge. He achieved intermediate fluency and is actively involved in the revitalization of the Halq’eméylem language. In November 2020, Eddie was elected as a Councillor serving the people of Sqwá First Nation. He worked for a variety of federal, provincial, First Nation and private sector employers in designing, coordinating, directing and delivering a broad range of programs and services from an Indigenous world view. He strongly advocates for the well-being of wild salmon and their habitat.

Image: Supplied by Chilliwack Rotary / Eddie Gardner (T’ít’elem Spath – Singing Bear) of Skwah First Nation, and president of the Wild Salmon Defense Alliance, is another featured speaker with a wealth of knowledge.

Fellow speaker Leona Shaw, Senior Director for Environmental Protection & Natural Resources for Metis Nation British Columbia, brings an experienced background in research and policy development, as well as relationship building amongst diverse stakeholders. According to her biography on the Metis Nation British Columbia website, Shaw believes that there is a relationship between the land and mental health and well-being, and that everyone should have access to the outdoors.

Image: Supplied by Chilliwack Rotary / Leona Shaw of the Metis Nation British Columbia has been invited to speak at the first annual Chilliwack Rotary Climate Fair.

The impressive roster of speakers also includes Midwestern Region Centre for Democracy and Human Rights executive director Lawrence Kangula, who has over 15 years of experience in civil society work in Uganda, specifically on environmental biodiversity and conservation/human rights advocacy. Lawrence will present on the MICOD’s work in Uganda, the climate change phenomenon in Uganda, with an emphasis on the gravity of the problem and the capacity challenges of climate change actors.

Image: Chilliwack Rotary / Lawrence Kangula from Uganda has been confirmed as one of the featured speakers at the first annual Chilliwack Rotary Climate Fair.

The speakers lineup is as follows:

Saturday, April 15 2023

9:00 am – Eddie Garder (T’ít’elem Spath – Singing Bear) Skwah First Nation, Wild Salmon Defense Alliance
9:30 am – Mayor Ken Popove, City of Chilliwack
10:00 am – Leona Shaw, Metis Nation BC
11:00 am – Dr. Carin Bondar, UFV
12:00 pm – Bill Hardy, Canadian Nursery Landscape Association
1:00 pm – Dan Dueck, Stattonrock Group
2:00 pm – Chris Bush, Catalyst Agri-Innovations Society
3:00 pm – David Leger, H2Portable Power Corp
4:00 pm – Lawrence Kangula, Midwestern Reg. Centre, Democracy & Human Rights (Uganda)
5:00 pm – Brian Minter, Minter Country Gardens
6:00 pm – Dr. Tim Cooper, University of the Fraser Valley (retired)

Sunday, April 16 2023

9:15 am – Brian Coote, Scotia Wealth Management
10:00 am – Megan Czerpak, FoodMesh
11:00 am – Speaker TBA, Zero Waste BC
12:00 pm – Thomas Hackney, BC Sustainable Energy Association
1:00 pm – Michael Stanyer, Plug In BC
2:00 pm – Alysha Jones, Canadian Association of Nurses for the Environment
3:00 pm – Dr. Farhan Shafiq, Smart Cities
4:00 pm – Eddie Garder (T’ít’elem Spath – Singing Bear) Skwah First Nation, Wild Salmon Defense Alliance
4:50 – Robyn Curtis, Chair, Climate Committee Action Group, Rotary Club of Chilliwack

Visit Rotary Climate Fair Speakers — Rotary Club of Chilliwack (chilliwackrotary.com) for more information on the Rotary Climate Fair.

by Mike Vanden Bosch

1st annual Chilliwack Rotary Climate Fair, trade show and job expo set for April 15-16

Saturday, April 15 2023

Sunday, April 16 2023

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